How To Throw Knives

Knife throwing is an art, sport, combat skill, or variously an entertainment technique, involving an artist skilled in the art of throwing knives, the weapons thrown, and a target.

Throwing knifeThe desirable properties for a throwing knife differ from those of a common pocket knife. Knives used for throwing are almost always one-piece, rather than the traditional knives that have a handle manufactured separately from the blade. The purpose of this design is to create a durable knife with a balanced distribution of weight. Additionally, some throwing knives are double-edged, although the edges of throwing knives are almost always dull (to prevent the knife from cutting the thrower's hands in some grips). The knife sticks by penetration of the sharpened point into the target; Other factors such as weight distribution, overall mass and dimensions and especially durability also become important. Compared to pocket knives, the steel used to manufacture a throwing knife should generally be more malleable and less prone to breakage.

Basic principlesKnife throwing, whether in a martial or sport application, involves the same basic principles of mechanics. The objective in each case is for the point to stick into the target with a sufficient amount of force. For this to be successful, accuracy, distance, number of rotations and placement of the body all must be taken into account unless a no-spin technique is employed by the thrower (there are spin and no-spin throwing techniques). If the thrower uses a spin technique, the knife will rotate during flight. This means that the thrower, assuming he is throwing the same way every time, must either choose a specific distance for each type of throw or, more practically, make slight adjustments to placement of the knife in the hand as well as angle of release and rotation of the wrist. Variations in throw technique can allow great accuracy and range. Throwers may also need to adjust for throwing off-center, around corners, and whilst running.

Spear or arrow style"Spear" or "arrow style" or "combat style" knife throwing is an alternative throwing style practiced by a majority of knife throwers in the army. In this style, the knives are thrown so that they fly straight into the target with little or no rotation, in the manner of an arrow or a thrown spear. This is usually accomplished by a throw that resembles a shot put, accompanied by a slight downward flick of the wrist as the knife is released, in order to cancel out rotary momentum accumulated in accelerating the knife. Spear style is sometimes considered more difficult than standard knife throwing, and can be somewhat less accurate, but has the advantage that the thrower does not need to gauge the distance to the target or choose a number of rotations. In theory, it is more useful as a martial art. Spear style throwers usually use smaller knives (commonly between 5 and 10 inches in length) than typical knife throwers do, They also tend to use knives balanced with more weight towards the handle; Although the technique applies equally to larger blades such as swords.

Sport Knife throwing competitionIn the USA and in Europe, there are communities of people pursuing knife throwing as a sport, similar to archery. Groups such as IKTHOF (International Knife Throwers Hall of Fame, USA), AKTA (American Knife Throwers Alliance, USA) and Eurothrowers (European Throwing Club "Flying Blades", EU) sponsor events, demonstrations and competitions. Those are an opportunity for the throwers to exchange knowledge, compare their performances, and enjoy the amiable atmosphere common to those events.

The competition itself consists, in the most common form, of a series of straight throws aimed at a set of standard wooden targets or in some cases foam. Similar to an archery target, competition knife throwing targets have a bullseye surrounded by one or more rings. A sticking knife scores points. The thrower must be standing at least a set distance away from the target, with higher distances for more challenging events. IKTHOF keeps a ranking of its members based on their performance during these sponsored competitions. The scores achieved at Eurothrowers events can be examined at the meetings' reports.

In Canada a new organization has taken initiative in trying to make knife throwing an Olympic sport but for them to do so they need financial support, from various sources this organization is called Association of Canadian Knife Throwers (ACKT) and their website is http://throwmasters.com

Martial artsAlthough it was popularized in America in the late 19th century by traveling acts such as the Barnum & Bailey Circus, the history of knife throwing dates much further back. The art of knife throwing was first used in martial arts or hunting applications. It has been incorporated into the martial disciplines of the Japanese as well as some African and Native American tribes. In such cases, throwing a weapon when fighting is generally thought of as a risk. If unsuccessful it can leave the thrower without a weapon. However, many warriors traditionally carried two or more weapons at the same time.

MilitaryMilitary personnel (typically special forces operators) seldom use "normal" knives for throwing, because lack of repeatability makes training and certification difficult. The Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife, used by the British Royal Marines, is finely balanced for throwing.

EntertainmentKnife throwing as entertainment is part of a group of performance arts sometimes known as the impalement arts.

RepresentationsKnife throwing has made many appearances in film, most prominently in action movies such as Kill Bill, Gangs of New York, V for Vendetta, and prominently in The Expendables. Many films, with the above-mentioned as notable exceptions, depict the act of throwing a knife in an unrealistic manner. Compared to the standard Hollywood throw (holding the knife by the tip, between thumb and forefinger), competition knife throwers usually hold the knife either along the length of the blade close to the center of gravity or by the handle. Additionally, the number of rotations within a distance of five to thirty feet should be no more than two.

Steven Millhauser wrote a story called "The Knife Thrower." It was published in the March 1997 issue of Harper's and collected in The Knife Thrower and Other Stories. Willie Garvin, the main supporting character in the Modesty Blaise series of books by Peter O'Donnell, is depicted as an expert knife thrower. He can draw and throw in a fraction of a second and accurately strike targets up to 90 feet away with the blade or hilt of his custom-made knives. In the young adults book series, The Ranger's Apprentice, rangers carry a set of throwing knives that they are trained expertly with to use, and can be also used as melee weapons.

The opera Queen of Knives, which premiered in Portland, Oregon on May 7, 2010 tells the story of a brother and sister knife throwing act in the midst of the student protests in Birmingham in the early 1960s.

Several video games have successfully adopted knife throwing into their gameplay: XIII (2003) used realistic single-piece knives, Conker's Bad Fur Day (2001) used kitchen knives that when used without targeting would travel straight towards where an opponent's head was at the time of throwing, GoldenEye 007 (1997) could be configured in multiplayer to only allow throwing knives in an arena and featured a single player mission that involved breaking out of a jail cell unarmed, AltaÔr ibn La-Ahad, the protagonist in Assassin's Creed (2007) is adept at throwing knives and targets hit will die instantly, knife throwing is also prominent in the tenth game of the Fire Emblem series. Tactical strategy games (such as Jagged Alliance 2 and Silent Storm) portray knife throwing as a silent and sometimes instantly lethal ranged attack. The new and popular Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 also features throwing knives as a one-hit kill weapon. In Red Dead Redemption (2010) throwing knives can be used to kill or maim enemies and used knives are retrievable from the corpses of the fallen.

Knife Throwing Instructions

Learning to throw a knife is strictly trial and error because no two people are built exactly the same. Therefore after one learns the fundamentals as to grasp, stance and follow through, he must develop a style that fits his build.

One should develop the half turn first, however whether the knife is thrown by the blade or handle the grip is the same. When thrown properly a knife makes a half turn every three feet.

The knife should be between 12 and 16 inches long and weigh 15 to 16 ounces and should be formed so that it balances in the middle. Thus it can be thrown by the handle or blade with the same accuracy.

Now for a half turn throw, stand about 8 feet from the target. Keep your eye on the bulls eye and throw overhand and follow through.

To put it in layman's terms, throwing a knife is like throwing a baseball. The pitcher keeps his eye on the spot where he wants the ball to go then follows through after the release.

No matter what the game, be it golf, archery, shooting, etc, one must follow through.

Now at 8 feet the knife lands with the handle in a downward slant you are a little to close. Step back about 6 inches. If the handle is in a upward slant, you must step forward a little.

You must keep this up until the knife lands horizontal every time. Try to throw with the same force so that it will not affect your follow through.

After perfecting the half turn throw you are now ready for the full turn throw. Step back about anywhere from 12 to 15 feet from the target. Hold the knife full by the handle and throw overhand in the same manner as in the half turn throw and remember to follow through as it is the secret in any sport.

Remember practice makes perfect, so practice!Now, holding your knife by the handle, pace of four or five normal steps from the target, and turn to face it. Taking one long step toward the target as you do so (righthanders will move their left foot, southpaws the opposite), throw the knife at the target with a simple overhand pitch, making sure that the blade is released smoothly with no imparted spin, and that it's not twisted to either side as it's released.

If, on your first few throws, the knife strikes edge first, with the point up, move back a foot or so and try again. If it hits with the tip down, move forward a bit. Eventually you'll discover the natural one-turn range for the knife. Mark that spot, and go on to try to find the range for a spin-and-a-half blade-held throw (four feet or so farther back) and then for a double spin handle-held throw (about three or four paces back from the single-spin range). Knife throwing requires practice-like archery, it's a sport that requires a lot of seemingly simple actions to mesh correctlyóbut within a very short time you'll be getting consistent hits from the oneóspin mark, and you can then go on to improve your accuracy (paper plates tacked to the target are good for this).

Keep in mind, as you practice, that knives can bounce back from the target, so position any spectators well behind you (and watch out for yourself, too). Also, never throw at a target without first making sure that the area behind it is free of dozing cats and the like. Once you get the knack of it, I'm sure that you will, as I have, come to take great relaxation and pleasure from the meditative practice of "whoomping" a heavy piece of steel, with style and accuracy, into an upright plank of pine.

I'm beginning to get wicked into knife throwing, but I haven't an area to do so (I live in an apartment, and me going out into the parking lot hucking knives at the trees would be kind of weird), so I just go behind the big shed we have and throw at a wooden board 4' by 4' I got from my grandfather that's leaning up against it.

It's actually a whole fuckload of fun...once you get the hang of it. I still kind of suck.

"As there are two little children in the house (4 and 6 years of age), we have chosen to mount the target in a way that nobody can get behind it unnoticed while we are throwing.From a do-it-yourself store, we got the metal mountings and matching timbers (4 mountings and 2 timbers ŗ 3 meters). We bought raw timbers and planed them ourselves to fit the mountings, it is much cheaper that way. Then we cut the timbers in half and installed the zinced mountings in the ground with the help of concrete.After the concrete was solid, we could screw the timbers to the mountings. Then we added two layers of planks: one layer of level planks, 3,5 cm think, was fastened to the timbers. Then a second layer, 5 cm thick, was attached to the first, this time vertical. The screws (6cm long) went in from the back of the target to prevent the knives from hitting them.We still ponder if and how we should paint a bullseye on the target."...............................................

These targets were used at the throwers meeting 2005 in Pullman City. They proved to be very robust constructions. The two side stilts were screwed to the target round, the third stilt rests snuggly fixed between them. The two planks that connect the stilts on the ground make the construction much more resistant to twisting forces, prolonging the life of the target. (This method is even more effective than using wire to connect the stilts on the ground.) Please notice that the targets are tilted a few degrees backwards, thus with the help of the prolonged planks preventing the target to fall forward.

Yury Ershov (student of Y. Fedin) built this target, which he says is common in Russia. The frame squeezes the blocks of wood together so that they fit tight. The boards on the sides and on top can be closed for transportation to keep the blocks in, and provide handy protections to deflect knives that miss the target. If one of the blocks breaks apart from use, it can be easily replaced. The target is made wet before throwing so that the knives stick better.

Using only some old wood, imagination and some iron, Stefan Roeder built a durable knife throwing target.

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For his big cellar, Martin Fischer constructed a target that is hanging from the ceiling on two big chains. On a backstop plank from soft poplar wood, four fir rounds are mounted. Because the target can swing freely, it absorbs the energy of the knives on impact, thus reducing rebounds.

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A short explanation on my knife throwing target. Up to now, I did not mount it on a base, since it is very stable as it is, leaning against the wall of my garage. The square-shaped timber balks are from a hardware store, they are normally used to construct fences. They measure approximately 90mm x 90mm (about a typical 4 x 4, for you Americans). For a start, I glued them together under pressure, then screwed planks on vertically and on top and bottom. Rock-solid now.

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My friends and I throw knives, hatchets and axes at this target. It first stood on an open field, erected for the occasion of our WildWest club meeting. Afterwards, we disassembled the structure and moved it to our club's area.Above ground, the target has a height of 1,85m. The three supporting feet (diameter: 8-11cm, length: 2,6m) have been driven 40cm into the soil with a sledge hammer. On the top, where the three feet meet, three chipboard screws 6x190mm are screwed in a triangle.The stiffeners between the feet are screwed on with chipboard screws 6x110mm. The stiffeners themselves were flattened using an axe to give them a better connection with the feet.On the front, a board (length: 115cm, width: 50cm, thickness: 4cm) was screwed on with 6 chipboard screws (6x110mm). On top of this, you can screw on any tree round you like (coming from behind, using chipboard screws 6x150mm). My round has a diameter of 60cm and is 30cm thick.

Christof Weese ------------------------This knife and axe throwing target has been built by Holger Wycisk for the knife throwers competition in Herrischried, July 2010. The targets are tree rounds of white fir that had been cut 3 weeks before. ----------------------------------------------

David Adamovich: Thatís a typical throwing knife. Itís a 14-inch knife, about an eighth of an inch thick, it weighs about 12 ounces. A good throwing knife will be at least that size, between 12 ounces and 14 ounces, at the most one pound, 16 ounces. Itís got a good piece of steel in your hand, a nice point, and thatís what sticks in the wood. So whether or not Iím throwing knives, tomahawks, axes, or Bowie Knife, the process is always the same.

Question: What are the physics of knife-throwing?

David Adamovich: The physics of throwing a knife is the same every time, whether Iím throwing by the handle, or the blade. If itís a blade throw, itís called a half-spin and it starts back here, right back by my shoulder, and I bring my arm forward and aim it right to where I want it to go. Now in that position right there, when the knife is actually like this, in the air Ė Iím sorry, as my hand gets into that position, it slides off, the knife makes a quarter turn, which doesnít count. And now it needs to make another half turn to get that point to the board so it does this in the air, and then finally gets to the board and sticks.

If I were throwing it for a full spin, I would hold it by the handle, Iíd start back here, right behind my shoulder, the arm comes forward and straight out pointing to where I want it to go. And then as the hand passes through this position, it slides out, makes a quarter turn, that doesnít count, and now that point had to make one more full turn to get to the board, which is over there. So, it will go like this in the air, and get there point first.

The speed of the knife has always been a contention among knife throwers. Iíve checked it with radar guns, Iíve checked it with 60-frames-per-second videography, it always works out the same. The knife is going through the air between 26 and 30 miles per hour. So, from where Iím standing to get to the board is somewhere just under two-tenths of a second.

Question: Do you have to be a certain distance from your target?

David Adamovich: When I first started performing, I devised the act for almost everything at a full spin. So all my items were thrown from the handle and I was out about 12 feet. But as I was going to different venues, I found out I didnít have the space on stage to do a full spin throw, plus the distance to the board to the back of the stage. The stages just donít allow it. So I revised the whole act to be half-spin, all the knives, and thatís at about seven feet from the board.

So when Iím throwing the big things, like axes and tomahawks, I have to go out to about 12 feet because Iím holding them from the handle versus the blade.

Here's a review on the newest batch of throwing knives and hatchets I just bought from BudK.

Condor Dismissle Throwing Knife:This this is a piece of beauty! I love it! Great length at 14". Just a great 'diamond shape' design. They look, feel, and throw great!The handle design is nice and straight for a smooth release.For a price of $20 each that's about right in my opinion for a professional throwing knife. I bought 5 but I'll get more to have a even dozen. These are considered BIG throwing knives.Wonderful knife! I'll gladly buy more.

Boker Magnum Ziel 3 Piece Throwing Knife Another BIG knife at 13ľ". Big, heavy thrower. I like it, but I like it the least out of the knives I bought. The handle is a little wide, but other than that it's a great throwing knife. At $60 it's still $20 a knife, again, what I consider right for a pro thrower. I like the divits in the handle, you can put your thmb there to set your grip at certain points.

Kit Rae Black Jet Triple Throwing Knife SetThis is a knife I really like! At 10 3/4" with a 5Ĺ blade this is a killer dagger of a throwing blade! One MAJOR problem is that the blades come razor sharp...which is not wanted on a throwing knife. A little time with some sandpaper and all are safe to throw. This is what I've been throwing a few hundred times each day after work. Great meadium sized throwing knife, works wonderful for indoors. Each set is 3 knives, I have 2 sets and I'll buy 2 more for a even 12.

6-12 knives of the same size/design/weight are needed to develope cosistant throwing technique.

Fantasy Skull Dozen-Throwing Set with BoardSome of these 6 1/4" stainless steel throwers feature a black baked on finish while others are silver.I bought this on a whim for some indoor target practice and I'm surpried how much I really like it. The board works good and the knives are just big enough to throw right. I consider these to be 'small' throwing knives, and as such they handle a bit differently than throwing the big 13".I like it. If you are short on cash, don't have much space, and have always wanted to throw knives...I'd say buy this! A great way to keep in the game. Wish I bought one much sooner!

Black Ronin Tactical Throwing Tomahawk Axe with Sheath15 1/8" overall. 3 1/2" axe head.What can I say? Great toy. Crappy wrapping on the handle lasted maybe 20 min, but that's o.k. as I'll re-wrap it better and then epoxy it solid. It throws real nice. At $14 or 2 for $24 it's worth getting one or two...why not?!

Double Throwing Hatchet AxeIt broke. It broke after less than 12 throws. Nice design, looks great, throws wonderful...crap quality. The brackets are made of cheap cast metal...NOT what you want for something taking a lot of impact. It's cheap and it broke, I sent it back for something else....all I need to say.

Singapore Sling Throwing Axe Silver With Sheath5 3/8" blade, 11 3/8" overall.I like it, a great little thrower. I took some cord and wrapped the handle...much better. Throws more like a knife than a hatchet. Actually it throws like a little of both. Not quite as top heavy as most hatchets, so it spins more like a knife. Fun thrower, I like it, I may have to get a couple more at that price. ($10)

Built a 6ft X 4ft target with 6 tree rounds painted as targets up at my friends cabin. I was so caught up in what we were doing this is the only picture I have.This weekend I'll be building another one 4ft X 3ft for inside my apartment.I used to throw every day, but to be honest that was 20 years ago, so time for me to get back into practice. I used to throw at about 95% I'm guessing. Monday I threw 79%, Tuesday was 91%, and today was 94%...so it's comming back to me. Will be better once I get the better target built.

It's not about what may happen in a dangerous situation, it's about what happens between the knife, the thrower, and the target. It's about being able to pick up any pointed object, throw it through the air, and make it stick point first where you aimed.

More than anything else it's a sport. It's a very personal competition. It's about seeing how good you can get. Sure, it's easy to stick 1 knife from 5 feet and say you threw a knife, but can you stick 50 in a row without missing from 15ft AND hit the bullseye?It's not about self-defence, it's about getting together with people and playing a sport. As you can see in the videos above it's about throwing at a bullseye target.It's the same as throwing darts but much cooler.Also, to me as a kid...it was magic.I would see it in movies, read about it in books and comics, and seeing guys throw a dagger and have it stick perfect right where they aimed...that looked like magic.Try it and you'll see it's easy to do but hard to master.

It's always a challenge. You can throw for 20 years and still try to get better. It's just fun and really cool.I remember walking in the woods with my Father on his birthday just enjoying nature, and he stops, clicks open his knife and quickly throws it into a tree about 8ft away. That is cool.

Throwers throw four rounds of three knives from each of five distances, for a total of 60 knives.

Each round consists of three knives (suggested half spins with knife held by the blade) from a minimum distance of 2 meters; three knives (suggested single spins with knife held by the handle) from a minimum distance of 3 meters; three knives (suggested one-and-one-half spins with knife held by the blade) from a minimum distance of 4 meters; three knives (suggested double spins with knife held by the handle) from a minimum distance of 5 meters; and three knives (suggested two-and-one-half spins with knife held by the blade) from a minimum distance of 6 meters.

Throwers throw four rounds of three hawks from each of five distances, for a total of 60 hawks.Each round consists of15 tomahawks, three hawks thrown from each disatnce, three hawks at one spin at a minimum distance of 3 meters; three hawks at one and a half spins from a minimum distance of 4 meters; three hawks at two spins from a minimum distance of 6 meters; three hawks at two and a half spins from a minimum distance of 7 meters; and three hawks at three spins from a minimum distance of 9 meters. Maximum of 300 points.Youth(12-15)

Youths may go to any distance for all 15 hawks per round. Maximum of 300 pointsJuniors (5-11)

Juniors throw three distances. One spin hawk, one and a half spin hawk, and two spin hawk for a mximum of 180 points.

Targets

Three targets will be mounted perpendicular to the thrower, (e.g., against a wall or backstop) in a "V" pattern. The upper left and right targets are centered 152 centimeters or 60 inches from the ground and the center target is centered 127 centimeters or 50 inches from the ground. Each target will be a log round at least 50 centimeters or 20 inches in diameter. A 10 centimeter bulls-eye is placed in the center of each target and then 4 larger rings around it measuring 20, 30, 40, and 50 centimeters.

Throwing Sequence

Throwers throw one knife each at the three targets in a "V" pattern: top left-center-top right. The first knife thrown only counts if it sticks in the upper left target; the second knife only counts if it sticks in the center target, and the last knife must stick the upper right target. Knives that stick in targets out of this order do not count. Knives cannot be pulled until all three knives are thrown and scored at each distance.

Knives

Knives must be no shorter than 30.5 centimeters or12 inches, no longer than 40.6 centimeters or16 inches, and must have a point on only one end. One set of knives, of uniform shape, material and weight must be used for each test. Knives may not be exchanged during a test unless the replacement is of the same type. Throwers may use a different set of knives for each separate test.

Hawks

Hawk handles must be a be at least 35.6 cm or (14 inches) in length from the pole of the hawk head to the bottom of the handle.

Hawk blade's cutting edge must measure no more than 11.4 cm or (4.5 inches).

Scoring

Throwers may lean in, but the thrower's feet after follow-through must remain behind the minimum mark for each distance; if any part of a thrower's foot crosses the line the knife/hawk will not count, and may not be re-thrown. Knives/hawks will be scored as they stick (they will not be moved or "straightened" for scoring). Only knives/hawks sticking point first in the face of a target at the time of scoring are counted; knives/hawks that fall out before scoring do not count. Scoring is as follows: Five points for the bulls-eye of 10 centimeters, four points for the ring of 20 centimeters, three points for the ring of 30 centimeters, two points for the ring of 40 centimeters, and one point for the outer ring of 50 centimeters. If the point of the knife/hawk is not in the face of the target, even if the blade of the knife cleaves the edge of the circle, it does not count. The state or country representative present is the final arbiter of the score of a knife/hawk. Instances where the call seems to be a "toss up" should be decided in favor of the thrower

I do it in my back garden, my grandad has a high fence that won't let the neighbours see, I've got a piece of 12mm plywood propped up against the wall, with a nail through to stop it falling over. I usually stand about 3m/9ft away from the target too.

Any recommendations on a good place to practice throwing that won't get the police called on us?

Anywhere you can throw, be safe, and not damage any property.

It is NOT illegal. You are not throwing at anybody, you are not threatening anyone, you are not destroying property.This is a SPORT. The knives are SPORTING EQUIPMENT. The knives are not sharp and do not have a cutting edge, only sharp points.There is NOTHING wrong or illegal about this sport!Anywhere you have the space to throw and not damage any property.Make sure to be safe and make sure others are behind you when throwing.Make sure EVERYONE is aware of knives that may bounce back RIGHT AT YOU.Understand and be respectful that people are afraid of blades. Do your part to inform and educate others in the safe use and practice of knives in general, inform them of the skill, fun, and social parts of throwing knives. Teach others how to throw and give positive encouragement. Show them how much fun it is to throw and how much a challenge it is to not only get it to stick, but stick where you aim it.Be mature in what you are doing, have fun with it, be safe.

DO NOT throw at any living creature.DO NOT throw at other peoples property.DO NOT throw when others are in the line of fire. (in front of you)

Not to try and sound sexist...but the only people I can see having a problem with throwing knives is women. Older, boring women who like to complain.Most men will think it's cool and will join you and throw along. Most boys think it's the coolest thing. I've met guys who didn't think they were good at throwing objects so they weren't interested, but they still thought it was cool.It's a guy thing. There are many cool girls out there who throw, I've posted a few videos of some cool throwing chicks, but for the most part it's not something girls are interested in. And older women not at all. Men like to compete with ourselves and against others...it's fun to see who has what skills.

So...grab the guys. Get your smokes and drinks, your knives and your targets, and be ready to have some fun!

One thing I've learned is that people call the police regardless of if it is illegal and when they drive out there they feel obligated to be dicks. Luckily they don't show up for court dates and the charges get dropped.

My point is it isn't illegal...there is nothing they can charge you with.

Do it the right way:Throw on private property, NOT public parks and such.Use throwing knives designed for throwing, NOT knives that are also weapons.Throw at bulls-eye targets made for knives, NOT at live trees, any animals, any people, or other people's property.Learn how to throw correctly so most of your throws are quiet THUDS and not misses that make louder TWANGS.Dull any sharp edges on any throwing knives, these are not needed and are not safe. Only a good sharp point is required.Join one of the many clubs. If a police officer ever came to my backyard I can reach into my wallet and pull out my membership cards to various knife throwing clubs...I'm official! Join the IKTHOF and if in America also join the AKTA. It's only a couple a buck a year and you get to be part of a cool club that has fun competitions. These people are there to help you enjoy this sport, get to know them.

Throwing knives are fixed blade knives : the do not fold into a handle like a pocket knife.Most cities have laws against the carry of fixed blade knives, in many places it's illegal to carry ANY fixed blade knife regardless of size.DO NOT go around town with your throwing knives strapped to your belt. This is being dumb and asking for punishment.Keep them at home. When transporting them to places put them in their sheaths/case and put that in the trunk of the car.

Knife throwing is a sport. The knives are designed for throwing and sticking, not for normal knife chores or weapon use.This is nothing more than a game of darts...throwing a pointed object at a target.Don't turn it into Mr.Ninja stalking through the neighborhood throwing stars and blades into trees and fences...this makes people nervous.Throw in your backyard or a friends. Join one of the Knife Throwing clubs and finds others in your state to meet up with and throw.

IF NOTHING ELSE...get that knife and target set from BudK that I bought and throw indoors. It's $25 and you get 12 knives and a target, 6 black knives, 6 silver. With this you can practice ANYWHERE, all you need is 5-10 feet. The knives are small, so any misses shouldn't cause much if any damage. I set mine on my couch and toss at it from about 7ft away while watching movies. After a little while you'll find your throw and then it's not about making them stick, it's about accuracy...getting to hit where you aim.

O...bottom line...If you are interested and you do want to throw there is no excuses not to.*It's not illegal, it's a sport.*It's a sport recognised all over the world with large groups in every country that gather for competition.*It's not expensive to start or to maintain. You can spend as little as $10 for one knife and throw at whatever targets you can find...or you can do what I just did and go overboard...I just spent about $300 on various knife sets, $50 on a 6ftX4ft target, and about $200 on the 7 knife throwing tutorial DVD I could find. But now I'm set for years of professional practice. My point is you can spend what you want and still play the game. Spend $60 and get three of the same good knives over 12", start with that.*It's good social fun. It gets people outside together doing something entertaining.* It's developing good eye/hand coordination.*As we an see from videos this is a sport that is SAFE for children as young as 7 WITH ADULT SUPERVISION. Kids can throw and they do so very well. They also learn very quick. This is a sport that is enjoyed by people from the ages of 6 to 80's.

So...if you have the space then put up a target of some kind and buy some knives. If you don't have the space buy the knife/dardboard set and throw indoors. I'm sure all of us who want to throw can find a place 10ft long where we can throw and not cause any problems.

SPIN THROWS:Ĺ,1,1Ĺ,2,2Ĺ,etc---------------------------OverhandUnderhandSide ArmBackhandBehind the Back

Modifications:Extended/Choke up -less spinReduced/Snaping -more spin

STRAIGHT THROWS: ľ spin/No Spin--------------------------------Finger of God Style:Index finger on spine of knife, thumb and mid finger on flat of handle. Slide index finger along spine of knife on release.OverhandUnderhandSide ArmBehind the Back

Here's some knife throwing links to get you guys trained and hitting bullseyes in no time!Most of this info is on the Exotic Automatic foum in the Knife Throwing section.http://sinza.forumotion.com/f50-knife-throwingGo the throwzini.com and sign up for Scott's 101 throwing tips and throwers monthly newsletters, then go on his site and READ EVERYTHING! There is SO MUCH information at Scott's, I think he has it all there.

THE BEST WAY TO LEARN-FACEBOOKWe're all on facebook, it's the best way to learn because all the great throwers are on there and we all give video instructions to each other, we play online competitions, where to get the good knives from...you'll learn it all quickly. Great bunch of people on there!! Wonderful games and great skills! Join up to these few pages, it's mostly the same people but different pages are for different topics. I learn new stuff everyday!Knife and Hawk Throwers Group -if you only join one join this one!https://www.facebook.com/groups/331359934046/American Knife Throwers Aliance facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/356039113704/International Knife THrowers Hall of Fame Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/International-Knife-Throwers-Hall-of-Fame/236293599752444?sk=wallWant to watch a GREAT thrower? Look up my buddy PAT MINTER on youtube and watch the magic! You can learn a lot from Pat, he teaches us all. Pat also has a training page of facebook, if you ask him nice he might let you join :)I encourage you all to join the AKTA and the IKTHOF, we're stronger in numbers and for just a couple bucks you get to be part of some really cool groups. Who wouldn't want to be part of the knifethower brotherhood?I could give you instructions here, but it's all on the forum and I really suggest you join the facebook groups. I never used facebook before, had no reason to make a account, now I'm learning from the best in the world. It's also ALL on scott's THROWZINI site, go there and read for a few hours!!I stopped throwing for 15 years because of where I lived, I'm now 4 months back and I can hit a bottlecap from 13ft! All you guys need to do is learn the right steps, and be consistant. If you can do the same throw, with the same power, in the same stance then you can learn to adjust you aim to that perfect bullseye. I was able to split a asprin in half from about 9ft and I have it on video! That's the fun part, we all video our tricks and share them with each other and try to out do each other...Pat split a asprin with a hawk doing a double spin ON HIS FIRST TRY! That's some skill!And all it takes is one or three good knives, a good target, and lots of practice...but you also have to have the knowledge. We'll tell you what to do right and what not to do wrong. We'll also show you lots of new trick and grips and such. I just invented a new grip that everyone says has never been done before, so there is still new territory to be found! By the way, the new grip is called the NINJA GRIP. Make a fist, now fit a knife blade down between your index and middle fnger with the point just above your wrist. You can hold 1, 2, or 3, or you can also double up. I was throwing 6, 2 in each gap. But it works best with one or two knives, between the index and middle, and one between the middle and ring. Throw by handle or blade depending on distance. Something I've seen Ninja's do in comics, but I guess no one has seen people do it for real until now. Kinda cool :) Try it overhand and underhand. If you have three and you hold by the handle it looks like Wolverine throwing his claws.

By the way, some of us train in both styles: spinning and non-spinning. Most 'normal' knife throws will rotate one 1/2 spin every 6ft on average, this is easy to lean and control.There is also what is known as a 'no-spin' 'straight throw' but in reality it's a 1/4 spin. This is harder to learn, but if you can get it down distance it handled differently, but it's all the same 'straight' throw. I'd say try all the different throws and grips and see what you like.Look up Ralph Thorn on youtube, but f you really want to learn get the DVD.I'd also suggest getting the DVD's from Michael Pearl, Jack Dagger, John Bailey, and Throwdini David Adamovitch. Tons of great info

A great day of throwing! Balloons, tic-tacs, bottle caps, card cutting, bullseyes to 100 points, tic-tac-toe, H-O-R-S-E and a few other games. That scorekeeper app for my phone worked great for us today. Spikes, hawks, knives, daggers....straight, spinning, snapping close and streatching far. Overhand, underhand, backhand, sidearm, behind the back, between the legs. I think we got about 9 hours of throwing in today! Myself, Charlie Gross, and our Friend Dan. I love this sport! Hope you all have a great throw!

THIS is what the sport of PRECISION THROWING is all about...Getting togther with friends and having a great time!!

This is me and my friend Charlie playing with our toys.

Me doing crappy....should have waited til after I was warmed up, the first 30 min is always just getting warmed up. Was trying to show many different throws. I'll make a better one after I'm warmed up ad hitting more. The mid point is the best...we start out needing to get warmed up, then we do our bst, then as the day goes on we get a little more buzzed and it starts to effect our throwing. All it takes is 1 beer and I can feel my throwing getting sloppy. 2 beers and I might as well stop throwing, just not gonna happen consistantly.

Also known as a Retractable Forearm Dagger, Xiphoid is a class of weapons with a blade that is retractable into a forearm worn wristband/bracer sheath. Designed for swift and quick surprise attacks. It is notable for being evolved from the Katar and the Pata, punching swords with the blade sitting inline with the users fist..

There's two kinds of people in this world when you boil it all down.
You've got your 'talkers' and you've got your 'doers'.
Most people are just talkers, all they got is talk. But when all is said and done, it's the doers who change this world. And when they do that, they change us. And thats why we never forget them...
So which one are you? Do you just talk about it or do you stand up and do something about it? Because believe you me, all the rest of it is just bullshit.

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